To You I'm Devoted
xStarletx
A/N: Here we are another chapter. Hopefully a few people are enjoying this. Review if you are. Next update will be next Sunday! Review please.
Chapter 5
The third and final task was to take place in a few days, and it was basically a large maze. It mirrored my feelings which seemed twisting and turning in turmoil. They pulled me in two directions, there was the ever lovely Cho who was ever so much in love with me, and then there was Aria, who didn't even know my name, who was haunting my dreams not letting me have a single day's rest. I knew that I should forget about her, I had a girl who loved me after all, but for some reason I could feel myself being pulled towards Aria. For some reason I wanted to be with her, to hold her close and make that sadness she harbored go away.
In my search through many old tomes and scrolls I found one old story.
A witch named Aria, found herself very deeply in love with a young prince. However a wicked king, who sought the witch for himself, waged war against the prince's country. The prince fought him valiantly, but the wicked king killed him in battle and Aria killed herself to be with her beloved prince before the evil king could claim her as his own.
The story was supposed to be a child's tale, but I couldn't help but wonder if there was some truth behind it. She did tell me that the people who loved her died. I wanted to ensure her that I wouldn't die, that I could break the pattern, that I could stay with her, that I could be different. I supposed she didn't want to hear it.
The day I finally made up my mind was the day I awoke and found Aria across from my bed staring down at me. There was a small smile on her face as she looked down at me, and just for a moment I think I saw a tear. Confused I pushed myself up, and in the movement I looked away and when I looked again she was gone.
At breakfast I managed to overhear Harry's concerned remarks. Aria had not been there to meet him that morning; in fact he hadn't seen her at all. Of course I was concerned but what could I really do? There was a large rumbling that emanated from the lake, and I assumed that Aria was doing something violent. It wasn't until Apollo burst into the great hall that I sensed something was wrong. He was dressed in a regular pair of jeans and a black polo shirt. All the girls were watching him carefully, no doubt because he was so very handsome. He whispered frantically to Dumbledor, who's face immediately fell, I knew then that something was up and I was officially worried. It got worse when Dumbledor waved me over.
"You'll be going with Apollo here, stay close to him at all time ok?" Dumbledor told me. I glanced over to Apollo who was looking nervous, he fidgeted with his hands, and was half pacing.
"This isn't going to end well. She'll kill him, this is a horrible idea." Apollo was ranting, he was switching between biting his nails and running his hand through his dark brown hair. I was officially scared, what had happened to Aria to worry the great Apollo.
"She's in the process of sinking the castle whilst she's inside, I think we can take a few chances Apollo." Dumbledor chided. I glanced between the two of them, she was sinking the castle?
"Well what could happen if she's inside, she can breathe underwater." I asked them.
"She spouting fire and ice, if she sinks the castle there's a good chance she's either explode or freeze herself and I'll never get her out, she knows I can't go in the water. And if I don't get that whistle back we most definitely won't get her out." Apollo explained, he directed his last comment at Dumbledor who glared at Apollo.
"Just get him into the castle." Dumbledor ordered. Apollo rolled his eyes but lead me outside. Sure enough the castle was half in the water. Apollo grabbed my waist and jumped into the air, I looked down and saw the ground rapidly accelerating away from me, it was like I was flying on a broom only without the broom. Seconds later we landed onto a higher balcony. Apollo looked down to the rising water with a grimace. I realized that my cape was sizzling.
"Oh, sorry, Dumbledor must have forgot to put an anti heat charm on you." Apollo mumbled backing away from me.
"Her room is down the hall, just follow the screaming." Apollo told me, and then he launched himself off of the balcony and then safely back on shore. I turned back to the door and strode inside. Sure enough I could hear the distinct sound of wailing, there was no doubt about it now, something was distinctly wrong with Aria. The water was already inching up to this level, down the hall I saw a chair fly through the door and smash against the wall.
"Aria?" I asked. For a moment the wailing stopped.
"Allaric?" I heard her question.
"No, it's me Cedric? You know badger boy?" I reminded her. I carefully peaked into the room. If this was her room she had destroyed it. She was dressed in a flowing white dress, like the ones they used to wear in the middle ages. She had tears flowing down her cheeks her eyes were the brightest blue I had ever seen. She ran to me when I walked fully into the room.
"Oh, Allaric, I thought he killed you." She breathed into my neck. I realized that this Allaric must have been a man she loved.
"No, I'm alright." I assured her. She smiled up to me through her tears and I had no other choice but to kiss her she was practically begging me after all. She pulled me onto her bed and for those brief moments I really believed that I was Allaric.
We lay together, her hushed exhaling blew across my chest, and I knew that this was what I wanted. I wanted to be her Allaric, I'd sell my soul to be her Allaric, I'd change my name if I had to. She rolled away from me, and I wanted to roll with her but something to my right caught my eye. It was a picture of her, well a mural anyways. It depicted her beside a blonde depicted as a king, and at their feet was a black haired crowned person offering up a great jewel. I stood to stare at the mural, the blonde one looked a little like me, was this her Allaric?
"Allaric?" I heard her mumbled, turning her body towards me, I turned with a smile.
"Yes?" I answered, she squinted at me, I wondered if the water had completely drained out of the house.
"Oh, badger boy, how did you get in here?" She sat up, clutching the blanket to her. I decided now would be a good time to deny everything, but she seemed to have gotten it. "Oh, I'm sorry, I thought you were… uh a really old friend of mine."
"Allaric." I mumbled. It wasn't fair I wasn't just completely with Potter now, I was competing with a dead man now too.
"Yes, I'm sorry. I suppose Dumbledor had you come in here." She assumed, throwing me my shirt. I put it on watching her carefully, she wasn't looking at him.
"Don't be sorry. I rather enjoyed myself. I've grown rather fond of you you know." I confided I moved towards her, but she stood and turned to me.
"You were taken advantage of and that is unfair and I thought I warned you about those who fall in love with me." She argued. I stopped her.
"I'm not them. I promise." I vowed. She had tears in her eyes.
"You're a mortal. You'll never understand." She whispered cupping my cheek in her hand. I smiled at the gesture.
"Then let me be blissfully ignorant." I pleaded, I kissed her before she could stop me. I expected some sort of resistance this time but she let him.
"I think it's high time I got you back to the castle." She whispered against my lips. I felt myself frown, I wanted to stay like this forever.
"I am in a castle." I argued. She shook her head at me and led me out of the room. She led me down a long dimmed corridor that lead to the main stairs. At the bottom was Apollo smiling with his all knowing smile at her.
"Well kid, I knew you could do it." He whispered to me and then turned to Aria. "I'll get about drying to castle."
I thought he'd be mad at me, after what had just happened between Aria and I.
"He won't be cross with you will he?" I asked her, I definitely didn't want to leave her alone with him if he was going to try to hurt her. Of course what could I do really against Apollo, Aria could no doubt fight him off better then I could.
"No, why?" She asked him.
"Well, isn't he, your – uh – you know?" I stumbled over my words, wondering what to say, I didn't want to say the words, couldn't bear the thought if it was true.
"Apollo is my brother." Aria told me. I immediately calmed I felt a thousand pounds lighter. She escorted me back to the shore, waving at the giant squid gliding beneath us. When I got to the shore I paused to look at her.
"This meant the world to me." I confided. She smiled.
"that means a lot to me, honestly it does." She told me, I could feel myself beaming.
"But we can't be together, we're too different for this to work. Trust me, you will be much safer for you if you stay away from me." She warned me.
"I can't. Don't you see." I tried to plead.
"Be careful. You have your third test tomorrow don't you? Get your rest you'll need it if you want to be a champion." She told me, stepping back onto the pathway and heading back towards her castle. I watched her carefully as she went and then headed back towards the Hogwarts castle. I didn't get much sleep that night, not that it would have ever mattered, I just didn't know that then.